Adam Roseman Place

I was recently visiting one of Seattle’s best places to go exploring. If you have never been, then you must run to the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture. For someone like me, Adam Roseman, who loves everything Mexican, Native American and historical, this museum is like a visit to heaven.  At the moment there is a special exhibit called “Weaving Heritage: Textile Masterpieces from Around the World.”  The museum is describing this fascinating feast for the eyes and intellect as the ‘first major exhibition of the museum’s international textile collection.’ I can tell you it was worth waiting for.

You will see wonderful textiles, including rugs,  sashes, tunics, skirts, shirts, belts, robes, kimonos, and just about anything else you can think of that can be made with woven cloth.  Included in the display are items from China, Indonesia, and all across the Americas, North and South. Of special interest to me were pieces originating from the Navajo, Hopi and native tribes of the Pacific Northwest. Go and see of yourself the wonderful world of ethnic weaving.

As part of my teaching of ethnic American history, I always include a section on Native American medicine.  Most of today’s students have no familiarity with any type of medicine that isn’t of the modern and Western variety, and it’s a very eye-opening experience for them to learn about native healing practices.

We discuss botany, Native American herbs and the tribes’ spiritual approach to medicine.  My students are particularly intrigued by the herbs and ask me many questions about them.  Because of Native Americans’ close relationship with nature, many of their healting therapies emphasize the  mind-body-spirit healing potential of plants. We also discuss ritual ceremonies, therapeutic touch, energy work, prayer, music and other Native American healing modalities.  These discussions enable my students to gain an appreciation for this traditional culture.

Certainly, Mexican cooking is a bit labor intensive.  However, if you do most of the actual work ahead of time, your cooking time will be drastically reduced and you’ll find that Mexican cooking can be quite easy.

Most Mexican cooking includes corn or rice, beans, tomatoes and a variety of spices. Corn can be eating fresh or as part of cooked dishes, but is used primarily as the basis for “masa” dough, the dough for tamales, tortillas, tacos and other staples of Mexican cuisine.  Rice is the other grain commonly used in Mexican foods.  Beans, ranging from lentils to kidney beans, are critical for Mexican soups and stews, while no sauce is complete without tomatoes and spices. Each of the four main regions of Mexico has its own variation of the aroma, consistency, and seasonings of the country’s traditional cuisine.

I teach a course at the high school level about ethnic American history and I’ve recently added a great deal of film to my curriculum. I’ve found that the easiest way to communicate with students is to use their “language” – and what better way than through film!

One of the kids had a great idea this week. He asked if we could put together an African-American film festival.  Great idea.  And so I’ve been busy preparing a sweeping look at African-American culture through film. We are going to have three film festival days when I’ll show African-American films at the school. Kids will get extra credit for showing up to watch the films and will get even more extra credit for writing an African-American film analysis.

I love when my students take a creative approach to the material in the classroom and this African-American film festival is just brilliant!

Mexican food

Mexican food is very popular with Americans and throughout the U.S. you can find people eating Mexican cuisine as often as once a week. What many American don’t realize, however, is that the “Mexican food” they are being served at eateries like Taco Bell has little in common with authentic Mexican food. That’s why – if you want to enjoy healthful Mexican dishes – you are much better off leaving behind the high-fat, high-in-sodium, low-in-vegetables Mexican-style meals served at fast food places, and instead creating your own meals at home using authentic Mexican recipes. Your children will love the taste – and you will know that they are benefiting from the fresh vegetables, including tomatoes and peppers, the fiber-rich beans, and the vitamin-rich corn that form the cornerstone of healthy Mexican food.

I coach Little League, the nationwide league of junior-level baseball teams, to elementary and middle school kids each year. My coaching run throughout our baseball season, and I always feel a great sense of satisfaction when we have our local Seattle junior baseball championship.

First of all, while some parents come to watch their children during the year, most do not. The championship at the end of the year is quite impressive, and it leaves the parents with a great appreciation for the work their kids put in all year.

More importantly, the end of the year leaves me with quite a sense of accomplishment. I’m always amazed by the lack of self-confidence that so many of these children show. I don’t know whether it’s their home environments, their schools or their own personalities that tell them that they “can’t” but Little League helps them to see that they “Can!” in so many ways.

The kids learn discipline and self-respect through Little League, while they think that they’re really learning how to handle a bat and how to throw correctly. It’s a great vehicle for helping them to develop on a personal level and it fills me with a self of satisfaction when I see what they’ve accomplished and how they’ve changed over the course of the year.

I didn’t set out to become a great baseball coach, but that’s what I am today. With a pushy mother and a society that was intent on having kids do many after-school activities in Los Angeles, I was destined to become good at something. My mom picked baseball, and I must say that I’m certainly grateful today that she did.

Today, I coach Little League baseball to kids in Seattle, where I live. While I’m a history teacher by day, I have to say that I feel that I have more of an impact on my after-school kids. While I don’t tell the kids this, I actually don’t care as much if they hone their baseball skills perfectly, as I do if they learn life-long skills of determination, commitment and discipline.

This, really, is the secret to all forms of kids’ sports, as far as I’m concerned. I’ve watched kids with very little self-esteem learn to hit a ball and slowly build up their self-confidence and determination. I’ve seen bullies struggle to fit in with the team and realize that they aren’t as tough as they think they are.

Youth baseball really opens up an entire new world of exploration and skill to these kids, and I love watching the transformations. Of course, the kids think that I’m teaching them  how to hit, catch, and throw a ball. I keep my real motives a secret as I watch them develop their self-confidence, discipline and drive!